Pick Me Up
by TakeFlight81
Summary: A/U Alex is having a day. Caught up in her own thoughts, she drops by a coffee shop across town and leaves with more of a pick me up than she bargained for. Though this started as a one shot, I've gotten multiple requests to make this a multi-chapter so let's do it! M out of the gate.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fan fic so be nice to me, ok!? :)

My mind is racing. I've been in my head all week. I get like this from time to time and it's fucking annoying. I have a shit load of work to do and I just need to get some coffee and hide in the corner of one of my favorite coffee shops for a few hours and get my head above the waterline of my current to do list.

I come here fairly often but I haven't been in months. It's not very close to my place and just slips my mind most of the time. But I've recently made a commitment to frequent more locally owned places rather than the chains that are literally minutes from my door.

It takes more effort but I think it's important and I'm trying to get out of the machine in as many ways as I can. I'm tired of the games, the man, the rat race - whatever you want to say. And I feel, on this Wednesday morning, that going the extra mile (or five) to this little coffee dive is a small way I can snatch a piece of power back.

I roll my eyes at my own mental gymnastics and exit my car, catching my breath as it is fucking cold out. The kind of cold that feels like a gut punch and takes a minute to calibrate to. My lungs are burning and I'm momentarily distracted from my scrambled thoughts. I pull the coffee shop door open, slipping in swiftly out of the January air.

The eyes I meet on the other side make my strained efforts to breathe outside seem like a cakewalk. Fuck. Me.

If I thought my mind was racing before, I've suddenly found myself in warp speed. The questions and thoughts in my mind fire in me like a machine gun.

What is happening? I've seen her before. Her name is Piper. She runs this place, right? Was she always this stunning? What is my face saying? Fuck, she is gorgeous. Do I look like a moron? Is my mouth open? Why does she look so hot right now? Can she tell I'm flustered? She totally can. Can she? Jesus Christ, Vause…get your shit in line.

I try to find some sort of balance as the whole of my insides begins to heat up. I have seen her before, but something is different. I'm not sure if it's me or if it's her but right now, all I can focus on is a completely unexpected and (if I'm honest) a completely mesmerizing sense of need and desire for this beautiful blonde who's mouth is now moving in front of me.

As if pulled form a trance, my ears suddenly register that she's greeting me, smiling. "Hey there," she says with a light of recognition in her eyes and what appears to be genuine happiness to see me. "It's been awhile. It's Alex, right?"

Well shit. I spool myself up and try to recover what thin threads remain of my composure. I pray to God that I haven't missed any other important words during my brief break from reality and choose to roll the dice and just answer the words I actually did hear,, "Yeah...I've been swamped and have been meaning to come in but I…"I trail off (I hope) before my rambling becomes too obvious and then I surprise myself.

"You look incredible. Like...are you working out? I mean, wow." I can't believe the words that are coming out of my mouth. And they don't stop. I at least have the courtesy of letting her respond before I continue my surprisingly confident shower of compliments on her appearance.

"Well...not really different than usual! I mean," she falters slightly, "at least I don't think so!" As If watching myself from over my own damn shoulder, I continue, "Seriously, you look amazing. Just...yeah". Smooth, Vause. Real smooth.

"Maybe it's my jeans." She smiles at me. My next words catch briefly in my throat and I hope she doesn't notice the slip. "I think it could be any number of things but whatever it is, it's really working well for you." She thanks me and I can't read her. Does she know I'm flirting with her? I can't believe I'm fucking flirting with her.

She's married. To a man. At least I think she's still married to him. I remember several months ago seeing a news article in which a guy who looked a LOT like her husband was being accused of some shady, shitty stuff involving minors and inappropriate behavior. He had a pretty high spot in local law enforcement so that was obviously something that was going to be in the news. Right around that time, I noticed she had gotten off social media and honestly, I hadn't thought about it in months. I don't even know if it was him. She probably is still married and that just adds to the humiliation that is threatening to drown me right now.

Maybe before in my mind she was just not an option to think about in the way I was clearly thinking about her at this moment, so I didn't notice her. Maybe something had shifted in my subconscious because I was for damn sure noticing her now.

A genuine smile that was kind and approachable. Blue eyes I was quickly getting lost in. And the jeans…more specifically the ass that was rather perfectly filling the jeans - I was most certainly noticing the ass as she poured my cold brew. "Room for cream?" she asks routinely. Having recovered from the initial blow of her eyes, I'm actively trying to make an impression now.

I catch her eyes and say, "A shameful amount of room, please." She grins, "Well, they're better with cream - it's just a fact." I come back, "Well, yes that's a given. But I think there's a line that marks the top of a socially acceptable amount of cream and I'm solidly over that line. So yeah, keep that in mind while you fill me up."

This is bold, even for me. But I'm making up for my shitty start in this conversation. I'm not used to being caught off guard when it comes to beautiful women. I'm always the one guiding the conversation. I'm always the one in control of the flirting and I can count on one hand the number of times I haven't known exactly what I want before I approach a woman, and exactly how to get it. I'm never surprised. I'm never unprepared.

But this woman...I'm dropping sublte, conversational flirtations as she hands me the glass and I make good on my promise of obnoxious amounts of cream. She has left more room than I need though and she notices a little space left in the top of my drink. "Need a top?" she asks. I can't decide if she's using this word on purpose or if the inference lives only in my hopes and dreams.

"Please." I respond, connecting my smirk directly with her eyes. "And a shot of vanilla, if you would please." I offer to pay for the shot and she waves me off. "Normally, yes but not today." "Generous and beautiful." My cheeks immediately flush. I had meant for that observation to be internal but it just came out of my mouth without permission. I am shocked at my own boldness.

Things are happening in this conversation that I am not prepared for. I'm self-aware enough to realize that something about this woman is very quickly pulling me out of my depth. Beginning to panic, I grab my drink but she catches my eye with a smile. "So you said."

I turn and find a table in the shop, trying to gather myself. What in the actual fuck, Vause? I question myself. I never question myself. As I go to sit down and unload my bag I'm replaying the conversation. Did I come on too strong? Not strong enough? Why do I care? Fuck, she is so pretty.

She comes out from behind the counter to deliver a drink to another customer across the shop. My eyes follow her, willing her to look up at me. When she does, she catches me staring at her and I do nothing. I fucking do nothing. No smile, no smirk, no signature raising of my right eyebrow - the move that nearly always gets me what I want...I have nothing. I can't even handle myself right now.

Nichols is never going to let me live this down. Stone Cold Alex Vause loses her shit for the beautiful barista and has zero game. She actually won't even believe me when I tell her about this later. Maybe I won't tell her about it at all because this is downright embarrassing and I just need a minute.

I get myself setup and ask the college student next to me to watch my stuff while I go to the bathroom to collect myself. It's a one person room so I don't have to worry about anyone else coming in as I curse to myself. This is a fucking disaster, Vause. Washing my hands, I look in the mirror.

I look good, for a Wednesday morning anyway. I straightened my hair with beachy curls toward the bottom. My deep purple zip up hangs open flatteringly over my chest. My Rolling Stones concert tee clings casually to my stomach and my glasses frame my face. And the black skinny jeans I just bought this weekend are doing my ass all the favors I could ever need.

I look smart and edgy. I feel like a complete fool, though. So much for that. I decide I'm going to pack my stuff up and leave, too humiliated to stay in this shop one minute longer. This day just keeps kicking my ass.

I reach for my purse on the table with one hand and the door with the other. I barely open the door and am nearly bulldozed by a woman on her way into the bathroom as I'm trying to leave. My purse drops back onto the table and I'm equal parts startled and pissed. By the time I realize who it is, she is pushing me back into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. What the…?

For what feels like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes, I'm struggling to catch up to the situation. She turns to face me, her eyes are full of something different now and instantly, the air changes. My mouth runs dry as I look at her with questioning eyes. "Piper? Are you okay?"

She lunges at me, grabbing my hips and pulling me forcefully toward her. She is the tiniest bit shorter than me, which I hadn't realized until now. She puts her forehead against mine and one hand around the back of my neck, stopping her lips a hair's breadth from my own before she speaks. I inhale quickly, shocked in the most delightful of ways at her advance.

"I may be mis-reading the situation," she whispers against my open lips. "But I believe you were flirting with me." She cants her hips up slightly and I am aware that my clean new jeans are about to need a run through the washer. I feel her grinding against me, setting off fireworks throughout my lower body.

I'm off balance and even though I don't want to, I am stepping backward, desperately trying to stay connected to her but she is already following me as I feel my back hit the wall behind me. Her hips collide with mine again and I can't stop a low moan from escaping against her lips. Heat. In every corner of my body, it's all I feel. Blistering heat.

"I believe I caught you staring at me." She continues. She moves her left hand from my hip, lowering it to the back of my thigh. She curls her fingers and I helplessly lift my knee to wrap my leg around hers. She has me pinned to the wall and I am so fucking shocked and turned on and thrilled and for the first time in as long as I can remember...speechless.

All I can muster in response is, "Guilty." Even in my current and unfamiliar position of submission under her, I can't help but notice that she hasn't kissed me. I'm quickly recovering from my surprise. In a sudden and welcome surge of my own confidence that has been absent in our encounter to this point, I take over.

Our mouths are both open, millimeters apart from one another. I press my lips to hers. Sliding my right hand up her side, I find the soft skin under her t-shirt. I'm moving slowly, barely touching her lips with mine. I breathe into her mouth and tilt my head slightly, circling ghosting touches on the soft skin on her lower back. Goosebumps raise all over her arms as she wraps them around my neck.

Slowly closing my lips around her bottom lip, I begin the slightest biting motion against it. It's painfully slow and even though it's driving me absolutely fucking insane, the low moaning coming from the woman against me is telling me I'm doing all the right things.

I'm soaked and I know it. I can't imagine she isn't but I'm leaving nothing to chance. I'm about to fuck this woman and even if it's the only time I ever touch her, I want her to think about this every time she touches herself for the rest of her goddamn life. I kiss her.

Slowly and deliberately without using my tongue. She reaches for me with hers but I withdraw, still maintaining the contact of the kiss but making her search for my tongue with hers. I smile against her kiss. She whimpers slightly - her way of pouting about my tease. "Someone's feeling feisty," I smirk.

I drop my leg and spin her around, lifting her by her legs and sitting her up on the table next to my purse as I expertly remove my glasses and toss them into the top of my bag. She eyes me with a suspicious look at how smoothly I did that. My smirk confirms her suspicions - I'm in my zone now.

I look into her eyes with our foreheads together again as my hands travel farther up her back. She's trying desperately to maintain eye contact with me but he gaze falls repeatedly to my lips as she silently begs for me to kiss her again.

I slide both thumbs under her bra against her back and swiftly bring them around to her chest. I watch her mouth for the exact moment I'm creating and I don't have to wait long. She gasps as my thumbs run over each of her breasts just below her nippples under her bra.

As soon as she opens her mouth, I sear into her lips with mine. I don't ask for permission. She's mine now and I know it.

I kiss her with strength now, exploring every part of her mouth with my tongue. She is breathing heavy and doing very well at keeping up with my kiss considering I know my hands are presenting a delightful distraction for her. Kneading her breasts and rolling her nipples roughly under my thumbs, I'm pulling her toward me at the same time. She's wrapped her legs around my ass now and is rolling her hips against me, hoping for the friction we are both ready for.

Her hands move from behind my neck. I break from the kiss and move my open mouth to her ear lobe. "Mmmm," is all she's got as I take it into my mouth. Biting and skucking it gently, I whisper into her ear "Tasty." She moans again as I slide her ass off of the table and unbutton her jeans.

In one swift motion, my hand is in her panties, cupping her smooth mound. She pants in my ear, my tongue working her pulse point and at the same moment I slide two fingers between her slick folds, I bite down on her neck with just enough force to make her knees buckle and drive her hips forcefully into my hand.

"Fuck, Alex...Al...Jesus." "You're going to have to decide who you're talking to, Pipes." I smirk as I bring my face around to look into her eyes again. They're dark and glossed. She is pawing at my chest now, desperately trying to fill her hands with my breasts, my back, my abs...anything she can get her hands on as she writhes between the edge of the table and my fingers dancing against her dripping pussy.

I've avoided her clit until this second. I want to watch her face when I finally connect with the pulsing bundle of nerves. I want to watch her eyes roll back into her head when circle it with her wetness, gliding effortlessly over the spot that will undo her. I want to see her fail to formulate words when the pressure I'm giving her clit increases and all she can do is moan my name.

"Ummmmhh GOD, Alex!" I'm not disappointed with the show before me. Her pussy is pouring over my fingers as I circle her opening over and over, pulling more of her wetness up to play with her clit as she moans and heaves under me. I know she is getting closer to a hell of a climax by her increased breathing.

All I'm waiting for is what I'm always waiting for. I want her to lose every bit of composure. I want her to plead. I want her to beg. I want her to want me inside her so desperately that she can't think about anything but me.

"Please Al….Please…" "Please what, Piper." She sinks her nails into my back and throws her forehead against mine one last time, looking straight into my eyes. "Please fuck me, already."

Her voice is low - half desperate and half demanding and it is everything I wanted to hear. I enter her quickly with three fingers while increasing my pressure on her clit. She shrieks and bucks her hips into my hand, burying the length of my fingers into her pussy in a single move and clenching down on them so hard that I groan into her neck.

"Jesus….FUCK AL….I'm cu...FUCK!" I am thrusting into her now and I'm rough. I'm watching her face to make sure this is something she is enjoying and that much is very clear. I'm fucking her just like I want to but I want to make sure she's with me. I curl my middle finger inside her and connect solidly with her G spot. She seizes around my fingers.

I can't believe how strong she is and how tight she clamps down on me. The sounds coming from her are between groans and growls as she convulses around my thrusts. I don't stop and continue to touch her in all the right places as she rides against my hand. She throws her head back and moans, "Alex...yes...my God….yes…."

I move my left hand behind her head and grab her scalp, gently pulling her hair while she slows her pace against my fingers. I am still circling her clit every other thrust and her legs are shaking around me. After coming down from her mountain, she stills and returns her forehead to mine.

My fingers are still inside her - her walls gripped so tightly that I couldn't retrieve them even if I wanted to. I've moved my thumb now and my palm is flat against her clit, offering her the contact if she wants it but not forcing it against her. Her legs are trembling and shes clutching her arms around my back in a vice grip.

Her breathing slows from a desperate pant to deep and steady breaths, all the while keeping her eyes locked with mine. I suddenly feel her opening relax against my fingers and I slowly, gently withdraw them. She moans as I exit her.

I pull my face away from hers and bring my fingers to my face. Her eyes widen as I slowly lick my fingers clean of her sex. It's dripping down my forearm and I don't let a drop fall before taking it with my tongue. Our eyes never leave the other's.

She watches me work as her legs begin to settle from their quiverings. "Tastes so good." I close my eyes as I enjoy the last of her on my hands. I retrieve my glasses from my purse and return them to their place on my face as I watch her continue to struggle to regain her composure.

I stand up and away from her slightly and take in the scene I've just caused. She is flushed, chest still rising and falling more heavily than normal. Her jeans are open and slightly down on her hips. The room smells like sex. I pick up my bag and raise my eyebrow at her as I grab the door handle. "See you tomorrow."

A/N: You know how this works...bring on the comments, people! I have plenty to write so I'll see if people are digging my style. If so, I'll have plenty more where this came from :)


	2. Chapter 2 - Give Me Fire

Piper

What in the holy hell…

The bathroom door closes, I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding and run my fingers thru my hair. My throat clenches as I realize the door is unlocked and I'm just here, wet jeans hanging half off my ass with a freshly fucked look on my face. I put one hand on the back of the door and lock it with the other as I turn and face the mirror. I can still feel my pulse pounding in my ears and I'm aware of how unsteady I feel on my legs. Gripping the edge of the sink, I look at myself. Jesus, Piper.

Suddenly, the look of shock on my face cracks and I just laugh. I put my hands over my mouth and just cackle into them. It's a mix of utter shock and complete satisfaction. I have never in my life had such a wild experience. I don't even know what came over me. I can't explain it other than to say that was magnetically drawn to her. I couldn't not follow her...couldn't not feel her.

Her eyes - it was like they reached out and took control of my mind. Her lips - I could hardly tear my eyes from them long enough to hear the words they spoke. She walked through the door and a fire ignited within me. By the time I saw her get up from her seat and head to the bathroom, the blaze had caught and there was no turning back. I removed my apron, dropped it on the counter and told Polly I would be right back.

I waited for the knob to turn and took over. But that was the extent of my planning. Beyond basically throwing myself at her in the bathroom, I didn't know what I was doing or what I was going to say. I half fell into her and hoped I hadn't hurt her in my uncharacteristic burst of bravado. Luckily, I didn't have to be brave very long…she saw to that.

She saw to fucking me in the hottest way I think I've ever been fucked, honestly. I am certain I saw stars and if that wasn't the most intense orgasm I've ever had, it was most definitely top three. Currently, I was having trouble formulating thoughts of the other two that may possibly have rivalled what just...fucking….happened here. I let our another slow breath through pursed lips and a slow smile crept back onto my face. Alex. Damn, girl.

And now, she was gone. The whole encounter couldn't have lasted more than a few minutes. It's not like I usually take forever to come or anything but that was next fucking level. I'd be embarrassed if I weren't so impressed. My brain began to spin into overdrive. Okay...now what? I gathered myself and prepared for what I would find on the other side of that door. Should I look at her? Should I smile? Should I wink?

Oh God...I should not wink. Should I give her my number? Should I pretend this didn't happen and leave the ball totally in her court? Who's move was it now? Where do you go from there? I was so confused. It's not like I did this...ever before. Time to face the music, Piper.

I grabbed the door handle and straightened my back. Eyes forward, "You got this" I muttered to myself. I feigned confidence as I threw the door open and strode out into my shop as if I owned the place. I DID own the place for God's sake. My eyes went straight to the table where she...wasn't. She was gone. Fucking nowhere to be seen.

Alex

Well, that was unexpected. After grabbing my stuff from the table and a to-go cup from curious looking brunette at the counter, I walked to my car and chuckled to myself. Fucking Piper. I could get used to that. This day had taken a suddenly fabulous turn and I couldn't be happier with my work so far - and it wasn't even 10am. I shook my head and rolled my neck around slowly before I started the car, satisfied with the few cracks I felt as some of the tension I'd felt building over the last few weeks lifted.

I drove in the direction of my house and started humming to myself. It was a new melody line to me and I took notice of it as it took hold of me. As if a light bulb went off in my head, I realized it had been weeks since I'd written anything. I had barely sat down at my piano or picked up my guitar lately. "Fuck, Vause."

The stress and angst all made sense in my head now. This always happens when I'm not writing, not playing, not creating. The Creative's Curse, they call it. I've talked with many of my artist friends about it and it's real...when we don't let out whatever is taking shape inside of us, it begins to destroy the place trying to get out.

Art turned angry. Words that won't settle for silence, melodies that refuse to be unsung, form that resists void, music that screams until it's heard. When I don't give expression to the creativity in my head, I turn broody, angry and stressed. After all these years, you would think I know myself better than this. You'd think I would be more proactive about making space for my music - for my creative brain. Apparently not.

It had been a few months since our last gig. Several years ago, a few of my muso friends and I had put together a little band and played local shows. We were decent but I was the only one who really had aspirations of music being anything other than a hobby. Eventually, other priorities had edged in for the other members of the band and we agreed to stop scheduling shows. It just fizzled out.

I was bummed but I got it. Their lives were moving on and they didn't have time for the music in the same way as before. I went thru some down feelings about it but I didn't realize how lazy I had gotten about my own creative expression. I hadn't realized how my lack of working in that space was affecting my mental health. I had been a lot more depressed than I wanted to admit. I'd been a lot more repressed than I would ever say.

But now, humming this new tune, it's like the floodgates have opened. I grab my phone and start a new voice memo, capturing the rise and fall of this new line that's here for this moment but may not stay long. Words rip through my mind and I know I'll probably change them. I'll edit them a hundred times until they're everything I need them to be but right now - driving down this road - they fly at me faster than the lines on the pavement.

_Is it me_

_Is it you_

_Here to stay or passing through_

_Give me fire, give me flames_

_Girl, I barely know your name_

_Catch your breath, watch your step_

_I'll give you all that I have left_

_Can't promise much but I know _

_I'll see you tomorrow_

It's a start. I can work with that. I try to watch my speed on the way home. My fingers are itching. Fuck...they're already warmed up thanks to the coffee date I didn't know I was going to. All I know is, I need to get to my guitar.


	3. Chapter 3 - Free

Alex

My bag lands over the arm of the loveseat as I charge through the front door. Glancing at the clock, I release a sigh of relief. 11:23am. My first student doesn't arrive for another four hours. Plenty of time.

I dip into my studio to grab my guitar from her stand. God, I love this thing. I've played this guitar just about everywhere but underwater. It was my first *major* purchase when I decided to get serious about music as a form of income. She's beautiful. She's broken in. She never leaves. She fits me.

I run my hands up and down the fretboard. So many musings of my heart and soul have found their voice on these strings. She has borne the weight of my heartbreak and borne witness to the most raw threads of my sanity as I've poured myself out - bringing substance to life in my creative process. Tears, sweat, screams and sighs. She's seen it all.

The birth of art is rarely pretty. It's rarely painless. It's rarely easy. I guess it is probably a lot like an actual birth, but I wouldn't know anything about that.

Music is how I make sense of life. Writing it is the only thing that has ever resolved the chaos in my heart and mind. I've never written it for anyone else. If anyone hears it, I'm not opposed but I don't write for them - I write for me. Maybe that's why I've never had aspirations of "making it big" or scoring a record deal.

Sure, the band played my stuff and people actually really liked it. I think we would have had a real shot at something beyond a hobby garage band if all of us had been on the same page with that goal but that was never the case. And that was ok with me. I was writing, creating, playing. And an outlet was all I needed.

I didn't even need my stuff to be good, really. I just needed it to be out. To be mine. Normally, I'd write in the studio but being in there doesn't feel right in there this morning. Picking up my pen and notebook, I head for the back porch and grab a beer on my way out. It's go time.

Piper

Polly eyes me skeptically as I put my apron back on. "Piper…who was that woman?" I lift my eyebrows in response, "Hmm?"

"The woman who was just in here. The one you were in the bathroom with. The hot one. Who was that?"

I don't meet her eyes but I am still trying to play down the situation. "Her name is Alex, I think. She's been in before. Cold brew, room for cream, good tipper."

"And why did you follow her into the bathroom? Is she ok?" Polly sounds genuinely concerned and doesn't seem as though she has decided yet what to make of this series of events. Which is fine. I'm not ready to talk about it even a little bit.

Is she ok? There are a hundred ways I could answer that question. Before I get caught up again in how "ok" she actually was, I go with, "She's fine, Pol." And I silently thank anything holy when I look up to see a crowd of people forming at the counter. Duty calls. I'm off the hook...for now. "What can I get you?" I smile and ask the first person in line.

Alex

"Nice work today, Jake. Keep digging into those scales. They're going to really strengthen your hand and help your speed for that solo." I give the teenager a high five on his way out of my studio. His mother shakes my hand and says something to me about how much he is enjoying his lessons.

I'm trying to stay engaged in her appreciation because I really do value feedback on my teaching and on how my students are growing due to their work with me. His focus is improving at school, his teachers are noticing him staying on task longer and not giving up so easily when he comes up to a challenge.

This is huge - and I tell her, "Thanks so much for telling me that. The discipline required to succeed in music pays so many dividends across every area of life. I'm so glad to hear he's seeing some of those payoffs already. He's doing a really good job." I wave after them until next week.

Jake was my last lesson tonight and it's taken every bit of my concentration to make it through the eight students I have scheduled every Wednesday evening. My mind was still on the back porch - actually, still on the blonde who had unexpectedly captivated me. I knew I needed to see her again.

I'd spent all afternoon on the porch. I sat down before lunch this morning and lost myself writing, only pulled back to reality when my first student knocked on my front door just before 3:30pm. I don't like jumping right into a lesson without a little bit of mental preparation and at least a chance to pee before work.

It seems I've been off my rhythm all day. Mentally spent, I return to the fridge for another beer. Despite the whirlwind day I've had, my head is much more calm. The clarity that comes from getting what's in my head out washes over me.

My writing wasn't finished - the song wasn't complete - but I'd started it. I'd acknowledged it and wrestled with it until we came to an agreement. It was letting me rest for awhile and catch my breath on the couch for a few minutes. I knew this mercy would be short lived...it always is. But I close my eyes briefly in appreciation of the break. My mind wanders to thoughts of cold brew and cream and a certain pair of ocean blues.

Her hair smelled like coconut and limes. She tasted like salt and honey. Remembering the sound of her pleasure made the hair on my arms rise. As I recalled the heat radiating from her core, her memory threatened to consume my inhibitions as I felt the heat in my own belly stoke and flare. I can almost feel her fingers dig into my back again as I satisfy her.

Leaning back further into the couch, I let my own hands wander as if they belong to her. Sliding under my shirt, my fingers find the space between my breasts and graze lightly against the skin over my heart.

I imagine she would be slow. I imagine she would watch my every move, learning which of her touches cause my face to change.

I had fucked her because she asked for it. But in this moment I don't want fucking. I want her to pay attention to me. I want her to see me. And so I imagine that she does.

The ravenous contact her eyes gave me this morning is nowhere to be found in my evening fantasizing of her face and her fingers. Her gaze is still hungry but it's bent on meeting my needs now. In my mind, I let her. I let my hands be hers for the next few minutes and I find slow, strong release.

I know I'll be going back tomorrow but this time, the interaction will be on my terms. I will have my shit together and I will be ready. I will be tired. I'll need the course of caffeine running through my veins because I know what kind of night is in store.

I will need the kindness in her eyes because I'll be worn from a sleepless night of creation.

Soon, I will return to the porch to chase down the angst of unsung melody. I will labor all night until I learn the steps of this dance and deliver new life, single spaced on the pages of my notepad. I will be spent, but I will be free.


	4. Chapter 4 - Caught Up Into You

A/N

Thanks for the feedback and reviews, friends. I have only recently discovered this wonderful world of ff and I am just beyond sucked in. :) Thanks for reading and commenting and recommending and all the things. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I did.

Piper

"Fucking hell, Larry…" My eyes change and though I'm not yelling anymore, my resolution remains direct, "just sign the damn papers."

We've been fighting. He won't sign the divorce papers even thought he's had them almost a fucking month. He wants to try harder. He swears it will be different but we both know better.

I've been through the drill. Shock. Anger. Denial. And whatever else you're supposed to feel when everything you thought you knew and needed dissolves through your manicured fingers.

I was hoping that by coming early in the day, he wouldn't have started drinking yet. He had text me that he didn't have to be to work until noon today but I knew the chances of him staying sober before he went in were slim to none.

I guess the performance requirements for mall security have really taken a downward turn.

I was half right - he hadn't started drinking yet but he may as well have never stopped from the night before.

I wasn't opening the shop today but I planned to get there before the bulk of the morning crowd did. It was 6:30am and Larry looked like shit. Not that this look was surprising on him lately.

When the accusations came down last year, he never had a chance. He was Police Captain in his precinct - the youngest to ever hold the position. He did a good job. I was proud of him.

But when you're who he was and someone says what they said, it doesn't matter if it's true or not. And it wasn't. I knew it wasn't but that didn't matter. He didn't even put up a fight.

I knew it wasn't true because more than half of the instances he had been accused of "took place" when he and I weren't even in town and regardless, I knew he wasn't capable of the kind of shit they were saying.

My mother had been sick for months before she died and Larry had driven me to be with her every weekend, help around the house and keep my dad company while we prepared for the end.

I had been distant during that time - distracted. And to be fair, Larry and I weren't in a great place. We hadn't been for awhile but I thought that was temporary. Then all this shit hits the fan.

I loved him and I thought we were meant to be. He was a good guy. I'm not sure he believes me when I tell him that I believe him - and that's probably the biggest reason I left. I can't be with someone who doesn't believe me.

We'd been through so much therapy in the last eight months. Strike that...I had been through so much therapy. At first he came with me but that didn't last long.

At my most recent appointment I looked my therapist in the eye and said, "He's not willing to take care of himself. He doesn't believe me. And I'm not willing to spend my life waiting for him to decide he's worth something."

"That's the most healthy thing I've heard anyone say all week," she responded. I filed for divorce that day.

I think I do still love him but it's not the same. It's not the "give your life to someone" type of love.

It's not the "let's do this together", partnership type of love that you never want to leave and can't wait to come home to. Maybe love is the wrong word for what I feel toward him now. I wish him well and I hope he finds happiness but I know it won't be with me.

His eyes are down. He's a shell of who he was. I am tempted to raise my voice again when an overwhelming flood of realization nearly knocks me backward. Pity. That's what I feel. That's the word. God, he would hate knowing I'm looking at him like this.

"Just sign the goddamn papers." I say softly as I turn to leave.

Alex

I'm not even sure what to call the sound coming out of my mouth when I open my eyes. I'm cursing myself for not closing the blinds in my bedroom and I can't believe I'm awake already. I think the time started with a 4 the last time I checked before collapsing into bed.

I roll over to look at my phone and am shocked to see it's almost noon. I guess the light wasn't what woke me up after all, given the fact the sun came up six fucking hours ago.

I still feel like I've been up all night. Fuck. I have been up all night.

_They always say you never see it coming_

_I always said it wasn't true_

_But I could never have imagined_

_Being caught up into you_

The lines pick up in my head right where they left off a few hours ago. I found them. I tamed the wildness in them and taught them to run for me - to run with me.

I'm slowly getting my bearings as I sit up in bed. The aftermath of my night has left my head in a sort of "calm after the storm" situation and I'm still gathering my thoughts.

Coffee.

Piper.

I need coffee. And I need to see Piper.

I drag myself to the bathroom and look at my reflection in the mirror.

"Not like this, you don't", I chide myself aloud, raising an eyebrow.

"Get in the shower, you moron."

Piper

The lunch rush is dying down and I've been pleasantly surprised with the volume of business this morning. I've also been surprised at the absence of one green-eyed goddess.

Maybe "surprised" is the wrong word. I'm curious to see if she will make good on her statement from yesterday. I'm hopeful to see her. But can I really be "surprised" if she doesn't show?

With the morning I had yesterday, followed by the one I had today...maybe I need a little free space that isn't filled with angst or confusion or pain. Maybe I need a down day. Maybe it's good if she doesn't show.

Yeah...it's definitely for the best.

With everything under control out front, I head for the back office to start catching up on inventory and prepping orders so we don't run out of straws or something catastrophic like that.

God, it feels good to sit down. Except for the feet. No matter how many hours I'm on them, my feet never hurt until I sit down. Why is that? What kind of sick, cosmic prank is it that as soon as you can rest, your feet start screaming at you?

My grandmother used to say, "Ma dawgs are barkin'" in her thick Carolina drawl. I always thought that was the weirdest phrase until I started waiting tables in college.

After my first shift, I remember sitting down and the first thought in my mind was, "Holy shit, Gram…my fucking dogs are fucking barking." I quickly forgot my barking dogs and smiled at Gram. I knew she was smiling back down on me from wherever she was.

God I loved her.

My trip down memory lane ended abruptly as my ears picked up a raspy request for cold brew through the open office door. Fuck. It's her.

I shoot up out of the chair, knocking it over behind me and making a huge crash. From the desk, I can't see the counter - for which I am eternally grateful at this second. "Hold on" I hear from the counter as Polly rushes in to see what's going on.

"Holy Shit, Piper! Are you ok?!" She very quickly assesses the situation and sees that I am very much ok, albeit very much embarrassed.

"I'm FINE, Pol...Jesus!" I whisper shout to her as I put my hands down on the desk and try to regain my composure. She puts her hands up as if in surrender and playfully backs toward the office door.

"Your friend is back." She hollers in a sing songy voice over her shoulder as she heads back to the counter.

"Thank you." I mutter under my breath as I frantically dig my pocket mirror from my purse and give myself a once over. Satisfied, I stand up and shake my shoulders out. I throw my head to one side and smile as I move toward the door.

"Hey" I say casually as I watch her stir the cream into her coffee.

She brings her eyes up from the cup slowly, unashamedly taking in every inch of my body from my purple converse, over my light blue jeans, to the top two buttons undone at the top of my shirt. I get the distinct impression that she isn't admiring my outfit, though. After what seems like forever, her eyes land squarely in mine and she raises an eyebrow.

"Hey, yourself."

A/N

She's baaaaaaaaaack!  
:) Thanks so much for all the reviews. I love each and every one!


	5. Chapter 5 - Refill

_A/N_

_I'm happy to be writing again tonight! I have been LOST in the brilliant madness that is blackmadonna909's Wicked Games. I have seriously done nothing but read her tragic and beautiful poetry every spare second this week. BUT I'm back and ready to roll out some more Vause and Piper tidbits for you! I expect this story to have another three or four chapters but I'm not locked in. Please comment, as always. I love hearing your favorite lines, favorite parts, all the things. Here we go…..!_

Alex

She met my eyes squarely when I eventually got to them. And when I smirked at her, she volleyed the smile as if we were in the backyard playing catch.

She's a vision of casual beauty. She's gorgeous and she isn't even trying. I shudder in the best of ways when I imagine what she might look like if she did.

Her hair is up in a loose pony tail. She has simple diamond studs in her ears and a fine silver chain around her neck. A tiny charm hangs from it just between the lapels of her white shirt. The earth.

She's got the world on a string. I can't help but smile.

Remaining behind the counter, she picks up a stack of papers and begins straightening them as she shifts her weight to one side. "Are you drinking that here today or is this another "touch-and-go" type situation?" she playfully jabs.

Delighted with her ability to match my banter, I realize this is going to be a fun challenge. Though I'm not really sure I can correctly qualify this as a challenge, given the fact I've already had her moaning my name.

But I won't mention that just yet. I'll save that one until I need to play an ace. As I look into these pools of deep blue, I'm certain I'm going to need it.

I can't keep back a low chuckle as I reward her question, "I think I'll sit a bit."

I choose a table near the window. I like sitting in places that are on the edge of the room. I pull my notebook out and get comfortable.

I position myself such that I can see the whole shop from where I sit. I'm curious to see how the blonde will play this encounter. I half expect her to go into the bathroom, but that's just because I know I'm that good.

The other half expects her to play it cool and see what I do. A little cat and mouse.

"Later, Pipe!" The brunette who has been present both yesterday and again today folds her apron under her arm as she zips up her coat on the way out the shop. "See you tomorrow." I catch her eye as she leaves, unable to read the look I receive from her.

Piper serves a few more patrons before disappearing into the office. I'm not in a hurry but her exit definitely takes me off guard. The shop is empty other than myself, an angsty looking kid with headphones bigger than his coffee cup and a student with her nose so deep in her Intro to Psych textbook that I'm mildly concerned she may never escape it.

When she returns to the shop floor a few minutes later, our eyes meet again and the smile she sends makes me catch my breath all over again.

She is radiant. There are so many words I could use to describe her face but that's the best one I think. She glows. She's the sun. For a moment, I forget about everything else - I'm just happy to be part of her atmosphere.

She moves to the bulletin board near the door of the shop and pulls a few expired flyers down from the space. Her back is to me and take the opportunity, closing the distance between us quickly.

Though my steps stop short of colliding with her as I approach, I am close enough for her to feel my breath on her bare neck. I know she can feel the open edges of my leather jacket against her back - the only actual point of physical connection between the us.

I don't say anything right away. She takes my proximity in stride and continues her arranging of the community board.

I inhale her slowly, savoring the subtle floral notes of her perfume cut with the musky aroma of Sumatra beans. The closeness of our bodies causes my senses to heighten. Heat begins to reclaim it's primary place in my awareness even though I'm not actually touching her.

I think about touching her. I pray she's thinking about touching me.

"I hope you're not a vampire," her voice breaks my thoughts. Her voice is lower than it was before.

"If I was, you'd already know," my amusement at her inference unmasked in my voice.

She laughs a lazy agreement as she continues moving as though I'm not millimeters from the entirety of her back side.

She places a neon pink flyer against the board and pins it down. It's one of those that has a bunch of strips cut at the bottom with a "RSVP" and phone number on each tab. My eyes catch it fleetingly but stop at the words heading the page.

"Open Mic Nite, eh? That's new for this place."

Piper

I'm so thankful she's not in front of me right now. I'm desperately trying to keep my voice steady even though every part of me is trembling in anticipation. I need her to back away or touch me but fuck, I need her to do something.

I'm running out of things to arrange on this board and I have no idea what I'm going to do when I have nothing left to occupy my hands. We are literally in the middle of my shop, out in the open.

The sound of her breathing in my ear is almost louder than the sound of my own heart pounding. My silent prayers are answered when I feel her move to my side and comment on the flyer I've just pinned up.

"Open Mic Nite, eh? That's new for this place." She skims over the details but I grasp at the opportunity for dialog and for a break from the glorious tension she has created in my personal space.

"Yeah, Saturday night actually. I'm trying to create some more traffic on the weekends and I'm hoping this will bring in a new crowd. Fresh faces, you know? We aren't usually open that late on Saturdays but I have some nocturnal college kids working here and I hope they can rally some of their "arty" friends to come buy coffee and cinnamon rolls when they all finally wake up."

Another smile lifts the corners of her stunning mouth and I swallow my urge to kiss it off of her face. "So you're not working it then?" She lifts her glasses off of her face and sets them on top of her head and puts her hands casually into the pockets of her bomber jacket. Her husky voice seems surprised as she turns her body squarely to me.

My composure is slipping with the glasses and the leather and the piercing green eyes. Keep it together, Piper... "No, I'll have Polly hold down the fort. She has a teething kid and is looking for an excuse to be around people who don't drool so much. I'll stop in though. I can't be totally MIA..."

I don't add, "because I own the place" even though my nagging need to impress this mysterious woman is currently battling for dominance over my nagging need to drag her into my office and express my gratitude for yesterday.

"So you can have dinner with me then. Early - so you can keep tabs on things down here in case it gets rowdy later on."

It's so matter of fact. It's not a request. It's just an observation. Can she really be this smug? Taken aback, I focus my thoughts out of her pants and onto the words she is saying to me.

I cross my arms over my chest and turn to face her. "Are you asking me out on a date, Alex?" I half scoff, half chuckle as I try to wrap my brain around the boldness emanating from her statement. And I'm shocked. I'm shocked she came back at all and now she's asking me out?

I know I'm doing a shit job of hiding my surprise when she smirks at me again.

"I assume this is your number." She grabs the first strip from the flyer and whispers in my ear as she walks past me back to her table. "I'll call you."

A slow smile conquers the shock on my face as I stride back into my office to breathe fully for the first time in what feels like hours. Leaning back against my desk, my thoughts swirl like a tingly vortex of butterflies.

Slowing my heart rate back into a healthy pace, I contemplate what I am going to do now, knowing she's still out there drinking her coffee and I'm just supposed to carry on working as though nothing is happening.

The buzzing in my back pocket jars my head back to the present. I am at work. I have a job. I need to get back to doing that and just be glad that I have a few minutes' distraction from black hair and black leather.

"Hello, this is Piper Chapman with The Barking Dog. How can I help you?" I deliver my standard greeting with a thankful exhale. A customer to help, a need to meet. Perfect. This is exactly what I need right now.

The gravelly voice on the other end of the line dashes my hopes for relief. "Yeah I'm calling about the open mic night this weekend. I saw a flyer but I forgot the start time. I have plans that night but I thought I might stop by after and see if there's anything worth looking at."

As I'm hearing her voice in through the phone, the volume of her voice in front of me steadily increases as she approaches the office door.

"Oh yes of course, the Open Mic…" I pull the phone down while she closes the door behind her. She drops her phone beside me on the desk and doesn't stop short this time.

She closes the distance between us and connects with my lips in the strongest, gentlest kiss I've ever received. It's hungry without being ravenous. Full of desire but more of an offering than an expectation.

I return the kiss, deepening our contact and taking her face in my hands as I open my mouth and gently run my tongue over her bottom lip.

Our tongues meet in a beautiful dance while her arms begin to wander up and down my back, driving me nearly mad. I want her. I've wanted her every minute of the last 27 hours. But I'm at work and my counter is now unattended. I pull back from our now breathless kisses and she wastes no time in moving her lips and tongue to my exposed neck.

"Alex.." I struggle to create audible words, "I have to be available for customers."

"You don't have any customers." She grabs my ass with both hands and squeezes like it belongs to her. "I flipped the sign on my way back here and those two out there aren't going anywhere soon." Though it's only for half a second, I can't wait for her to stop talking and return to her activities below my ear.

"Fucking brilliant," I pant as she devastates my neck with her mouth. Gentle bites followed by licks and sicks. I can't decide if I want to focus in and pay attention to the details of what she's doing or just let my eyes roll back and enjoy her.

Alex

I catch a glimpse of her eyes just before she closes them and tilts her head back, exposing the full length of her neck to me. She lets out a soft moan as I breathe into her ear.

Her hand is behind my head, gently appreciating my treatment of her neck with slow scratching against my scalp and pulling my hair slightly. I'm taking my time. Her other hand finds my breast and slowly begins kneading it between her fingers.

This is so much different than yesterday, and yet so much the same. It's slower, more deliberate. There's no chaos here. It's softer but no less intense.

When she slides her leg between mine and connects her thigh with the center of my jeans, I can't stop a gasp from escaping my lips. When I find her lips with mine again, her mouth is already open, waiting for me.

Our kiss becomes heated quickly and I reach for the button on her jeans. Her hands are working magic on my chest and all I can think about is removing every piece of clothing that separates our skin.

"Al...hmmmm." She is losing composure and I can't wait to watch her unravel again.

The kiss turns sloppy as both of our focus' move down each other's bodies. I'm getting lost in her. I feel her go rigid suddenly when a quick succession of knocks fall on the other side of the office door.

I break the kiss and she puts her head against my shoulder. "You have got to be fucking kidding me." I laugh out the words but not because I find anything humorous about the situation.

When she connects her eyes with mine, she doesn't even try to hide the pout on her lips. She gathers herself and looks at me apologetically as she moves toward the door.

"Hey there! How can I help you?" She asks the headphone guy who clearly has zero situational awareness.

"Yeah can I grab a refill, please?" I can hear his obnoxious death metal blasting through his headphones from all the way across the office.

"Sure thing, I'll be right out." I can hear the smile in her voice as she turns back to me. She bites her bottom lip and I can hardly stand it.

"You want me to kill him?" I ask in jest - though I am actually considering keying his car or knocking the wheels off of his skateboard.

"Yes." She says to me as she backs toward the door.

I raise my eyebrow in genuine confusion and tilt my head. This has taken a turn I wasn't expecting.

"Not to the killing. To dinner. Pick me up here at 6."

I let out a long sigh and smile while I shake my head.

Piper, Piper, Piper.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Loft

A/N

All together now! Smut! Smut! Smut! Piper unleashed!

Fair warning… ;)

Alex

5:42pm. Fucking finally. I'm wiped out and the night hasn't even started yet. It's been a hot minute since I gave this much thought to plans with a woman...if ever. I even washed my fucking car. Who am I?

It's not liked I cleaned my place or anything...THAT would basically be a call for help. That would mean I was well and truly dead. I don't bring women home. Ever. But the car? Well it needed a bath anyway.

Keep telling yourself that, Vause.

I load up my stuff and duck back into the house for a final check. This is dinner - but I'm not taking the woman to the Ritz or anything. I'm dressed well but not over the top. I decided to leave the combat boots in the closet, though - yet another sign that this blonde is further into my head than I want to admit. But I'm not about to leave my jacket. I have my limits, after all.

I hop into the car and head downtown. Zeplin blasting through the speakers, I am humming along with songs I can sing in my sleep trying to ignore the fact that I'm feeling very unfamiliar feelings.

I don't want to actually give this feeling the satisfaction of acknowledging it but every second closer I get to the parking lot behind this damn shop, the tighter the knot twists in my gut.

I'm fucking nervous.

I'm nervous and I don't know how to handle it. Probably because I am never nervous. But this woman has me feeling and doing things I never do so...fuck it. I'm here and I'm not backing out so let's get on with it. "Do it afraid," my mom would tell me.

Walking in to the shop, I do a brief scan of the room and don't see the baby blues that have constantly haunted me the past two days. I check my watch: 5:57pm.

"Alex, right?" My head shoots up at a familiar voice, though it's not the one that I've been hearing in my sleep the last two nights. I shake the hand that's extended before me and meet the kind and curious eyes belonging to Molly. Holly. Piper's friend.

"I'm Polly, Piper's best friend and partner in caffeinated crime." She smiles wide and seems happy to meet me officially. Something has changed in her eyes between the last time she stared me down across the shop and now.

I'm guessing they've talked. She knows why I'm here. The way she introduces herself communicates to me that she's protective of Piper - their history goes beyond a working relationship, but I don't sense it's anything beyond a strong platonic friendship.

I smile courteously at her and though I'm not opposed to our casual introduction, she's not who I'm here for. I look past her into the open office door, thinking I might find the protagonist for my fraying nerves through it. "Nice to meet you. Is Piper here?"

Polly turns toward the office, following my eyes. Turning back to me, she tilts her head and says, "Yeah she's just upstairs. She said to tell you to go on up."

Confused, I connect with Polly's eyes again, trying to follow. "Upstairs?"

"Yeah, the door just through there. It'll take you right up to her place."

I start through the office door and turn back around to Polly. The confusion must have been written all over my face so she mercifully connects the dots for me. "Piper lives in the loft."

Piper

"Polly what the hell?!" 42. That's the number of outfits I had tried on, ripped off and thrown onto the bed in the last 30 minutes. My best friend was standing in the doorway because my room literally looked like the aftermath of a department store tornado.

There was nowhere for her to safely step, let alone sit. So there she stood with her arms crossed and her eyebrows up. "So this IS a date, then."

I throw my arms down and turn to her. "Yes, Pol. It's a date. It's a date and I really like her. I like her so much that I can't assemble an outfit like a normal person. So much that I haven't eaten anything today because my stomach is in knots thinking about making a good impression.

I like her so much that just thinking about her hands makes it hard to breathe…" My mouth has continued past my brain and I've inadvertently started a conversation I'm not prepared for.

"NOPE! No! Stop. Piper. Wait...How do you know about her hands? What the fuck is going on?" Polly moves quickly through the spectrum of panic, realization, curiosity and finally intrigue as she picks up on the fact that there's a lot I haven't said about this emerald-eyed enigma she's been seeing around the shop this week.

And so we talk. Her shift doesn't start for an hour and maybe I subconsciously wanted to talk to her about this - needed to talk to her about this because I'd asked her to come down early for no apparent reason.

I start putting clothes back on hangers as if putting my room back together will somehow help me organize everything that's going on in my head.

We talk and I tell her about the other day. I give her the PG-13 version because she's never been one to talk graphically about sex. Just talking about it makes me relive the M version in vivid detail and I have to shift positions on the bed.

"I mean," she is processing, "I know you've fooled around with women before but this is a big change from anything you've experienced since when...college?"

"Yeah. It's not like I was expecting this. I wasn't expecting to feel like this. To act like this. Fuck, Pol...I basically attacked her in the bathroom of my own coffee shop. Either I'm tragically repressed sexually or I'm just wildly attracted to her."

"Try 'Both'," she rolls her eyes. "She is hot, though. No doubt about that. But a date? I mean...she just doesn't strike me as the type to call back after sex, you know? Like more of a one-and-done woman? No offense but...she kinda strikes me as a player. Are you sure you're good to do this, knowing it's probably dangerous to get your feelings and your heart involved when she likely isn't?

I love you, girl. You know that. I've seen you walk through more than a person's fair share of pain and I don't want to see you get your heart stepped on again especially now that you're just getting things put back together in that department."

Polly is my best friend. She isn't pulling any punches and I know this means she sees something distinctly different than she's seen in a long time. She wouldn't be saying all this shit to me if she didn't.

She has been with me every day (and some nights) through this whole fiasco of my world falling apart and she knows I'm not rushing in to anything even though this may seem like a 180 to someone who didn't have her visibility into my life.

But she's right. Alex doesn't seem like 'relationship material'. I need to keep my expectations in check and just get my head in fun mode. I'm not looking for a relationship anyway. I want to blow off some steam and have fun and feel good. God knows I haven't felt that in a long damn time.

We finish chatting and I feel a lot better. She looks at her phone and sees it's nearly time for her to start her shift. We stand up and share a tight hug. She turns to head downstairs, "Wear the dress from Cal's wedding. It's hot and makes your tits look huge but it's not slutty. It'll give her plenty to imagine over calamari. And the heels from Macy's when we went to your parents' last year. You know your legs are your best feature - show them off. You only get one chance at the first date, Pipe. Knock her dead."

I can't stop smiling as the door closes. I fucking love her.

I grab the dress she mentioned and put it on. Finding the shoes in the back of my closet, I stand in front of my full length mirror and nod in silent approval. Damn it, Polly. Where were you before I wrecked my closet?

Alex

She lives in the fucking loft.

I knock on the door at the top of the stairs and wait. I'm sure it was about 13 seconds but it felt like nine days. My nerves were on overdrive and I was not expecting to be standing at the actual residence of this woman who's been residing in my head all week.

I shouldn't really be surprised at surprises by now when it comes to this little ray of sunshine but I'm still adjusting to the whole scenario. When she swings the door open with that million dollar smile, time stops.

I have never seen anything so beautiful with my own eyes. I felt frozen. I couldn't blink. I couldn't speak. If it weren't quaking through my bones with every pulse, I'd think my heart stopped, too. I memorize her. Branding the highlights into my mind because I never wanted to forget the masterpiece before me.

Red. Strapless. Cut just above the knee with a slit halfway up her thigh. The sweetheart neckline was the very definition of "plunging" and I'm certain I licked my lips thinking about plunging into it with my fucking face.

Legs. For days. Black velvet heels that made her defined calves look like they could cut glass. I've only seen her legs in pants and I already thought they were amazing. Seeing them now, I just tilt my head to the side and suck the air through my teeth.

Her makeup is flawless. If her ocean eyes weren't already deep enough to drown in, the smoky shadows she had surrounded them with have me actually hearing her Siren song. I think I'm dying in them and I'm not even mad.

"Wow." It was on the tip of my tongue but the word actually dropped from hers.

I just shook my head. "Damn, Piper. You're a regular smoke show."

I didn't think her smile could get any wider but I revelled in the fact that my complement could stretch it just a bit further. She extended her hand into her living room, "Come on in, I'll just grab my coat."

She turned to retrieve it from over the back of the couch and I couldn't help myself. I walked straight toward her and grabbed her wrist. She spun into me as I closed the distance and pushed her against the back of the sofa.

Startled but not opposed, she lifts her eyes to meet mine. I take her hands in my own and wrap them around behind her, the front of my body in full contact with hers. The sudden contact of our bodies creates an instant effect between my thighs.

"So here's what's going to happen tonight." I work to steady my breathing and say my words but my self control is on thin ice. If I didn't know she already wants me, I wouldn't cut to the chase quite this fast but neither of us are unclear about what we want from each other.

"I'm going to take you to dinner at a nice place. It's fucking nice." I feel her hips roll toward mine slightly. If I weren't pressed up against her, I may not have even noticed.

"We will have a bottle of Pinot Grigio because you seem like a woman who likes Pinot Grigio." I move toward her neck but I don't make contact.

"We will order bougie appetizers like bacon wrapped dates or baked brie or some shit like that. I'll have a steak and you'll try to order a salad but I'll tell you to order what you really want and you'll probably go for the catch of the day." I'm speaking against her ear, breathy and barely above a whisper and I can hear her breaths quicken against my neck.

"We are going to talk and it's going to be comfortable. We'll flirt and make eyes at each other. You're going to tell me things about you and I'm going to be impressed. I'm going to tell you things about me and you are going to be impressed." I move my face to the other side of hers.

"You'll get up to use the bathroom and I'll watch your ass shamelessly as you walk. You'll turn and catch me and I won't even care because I can't help it. You're breathtaking." She's panting at my proximity and I'm pulling the tension between us tighter with every breath I leave on her skin.

"All that's going to happen. You can hang your hat on it." I release a shaky breath into her ear.

"Also, I will fuck you." She gasps and lets a quiet whimper escape from her lips. I feel them open against my neck but I back away. I'm not done yet.

"I will touch you in ways that make your brain explode. I'll worship your body with mine and I will kiss every inch of you. I'll take you as close to heaven as you've ever been tonight and you'll beg me to do it again. And I will. Again and again until you beg me to stop." Her breath is ragged and uneven. I know I am closing in on checkmate.

"I will make you feel things you never have and when you come, it will divide your life into all the days before tonight and all the days after." I plant slow, barely-there kisses on her forehead and her temples. My hands are still on hers behind her back and she is coming undone under my words.

"You just have to decide…" I kiss her nose gently and she quietly moans.

"If you want me before dinner…" I kiss her jaw just to the right of her mouth. Her eyes are closed and her head tilts to the side into my lips.

"Or for dessert…" I back up and wait for her eyes to open.

Piper

Every fiber of my body is on fire. My eyes are closed but I see blinding light. She's barely touching me but I can feel her everywhere. No one has ever spoken to me like this. I don't know that I've ever been this turned on and it's just her presence - her words. I think I could actually come if she keeps talking in that signature rasp.

I feel her lips on my face as she asks me to decide. Before dinner or for dessert. I'm so wet I'm dripping. I can actually feel my arousal running down my leg. I open my eyes and see her waiting for my response. Green eyes boring into mine, knowing I'm helplessly at her mercy. I'm trembling and every hair on my body stands on end.

There's only one word screaming through my brain. I straighten my back and bring my lips to her ear. My voice is stronger than I expect, given my current level of physical function. I just have to have her. I know my response will break the damn holding our bodies back.

"Both."

I bite her ear with as my answer trails off and she utters what I can only describe as an ecstatic groan. Our faces crash together in a flood of moans, tongues and teeth.

She releases my hands from behind me and while hers go immediately to my chest, I dig my fingers into her ass and pull her into me, clinging to her like a prayer.

We consume each other with our hands. Her fingers find the zipper under my left arm and slide it down in one swift movement. I slide my hands under her jacket and let it fall to the floor behind her.

By the time she steps out of her heels, I'm already on my knees, dragging her black leather pants down as I descend. The scent of her arousal intoxicates me immediately and I can't wait to taste her.

"Oh my God, Alex." I moan in delight as I cover the crown of her thighs in kisses. She rips her black tank off over her head but doesn't make it to her bra clasp before I steal her focus. She gasps when my lips connect with her skin and reaches for the couch behind me to steady herself as she tries to step out of her pants with my face between her legs.

She tastes divine. The only thoughts I can complete center on how amazing she tastes. I kiss her legs, her inner lips, her mound. She moans my name takes the back of my head in her other hand. I've never been in this position with a woman before but right now, I can't believe I've waited this long.

Pure bliss on my lips. "You taste unbelievable" I moan as I finally reach her clit. "PIPER..yes…" I smile into it, reveling in the fact that I'm the cause of her unravelling. She is getting wetter by the second and I shamelessly moan, enjoying her. I'm as turned on as she is, if not more. Knowing that she is dripping for me, because of me sends a fresh jolt of electricity through my core.

I keep my kisses soft and sucking slow on her clit and venture a single finger up the inside of her thigh. She's faltering above me. I look up and see her watching me. Her face is twisted in a beautiful mix of agony and anticipation. "Please…" She whispers.

I oblige quickly, gliding two fingers into her center. The level of her wetness makes my entry effortless. I can't make out actual words from her as I slowly move in and out of her. I know it has to be hard for her to stay standing but I am sinfully enjoying the control I currently have over her body, even though I'm the one on my knees.

I can tell her orgasm is close by the way she's bucking her hips against my hands. I move my left hand behind her thigh, lifting it over my shoulder to spread her center even wider in front of me. Adding a third, I roll my fingers inside her, painting her inner walls with my fingertips and moaning against her clit in my mouth. She reacts to the vibration in violent jerks, unable to control her body in my hands.

Magic. Euphoria. Ecstasy. Feasting on her sends me to my own heights. Her body shudders above me as my name thunders from her lips. Her grip in my hair tightens and I slow the movements of my mouth and hands, letting her ride out the waves of her pleasure against the now gentle surf I'm providing with my tongue and fingers.

I gently kiss her clean until she's ready to relax around my fingers.

She is gasping for air, heaving her chest above me. She's beautiful. Sweat glistens over her abdomen and down the sides of her neck. Her breasts rise and fall sharply, still contained snugly in black lace. Her bra is the only article of clothing remaining on her flawless form.

Though the sight of it is one of the hottest things I could imagine, I make a mental note to remove it at the earliest opportunity.

I stand. Fully clothed except the open zipper at my side and embrace her. I'm taller than her now as my heels never left my feet. She is still braced against the back of the couch with one hand and I gently move it around my waist and lean against the sofa. She melts into my arms as a matter of physical necessity.

We stay there. I don't know how long but it doesn't matter. Her breathing calms and returns to a slow rhythm. "You ok?" I ask gently as she stands on her own in front of me. She nods, still not having found her voice just yet. When her mouth finally does open to let out the low raspiness I'm growing to crave, it's the same word she said last, though in a much different tone, "Piper…" as she tips her head back and inhales steadily.

"I just wanted to thank you for the other day." I smile, feigning coy. "What time is dinner?"

She slowly brings her eyes back down to mine and moves her head from side to side, "Not for a bit..." Her eyes are nearly black from climax and desire. "Nice try."

She pushes me over the back of the couch and follows over, landing squarely on top of me as her hands lift my dress up around my waist. "My turn" she growls with a smirk and her face disappears between my legs.

Jesus.


	7. Chapter 7 - True Colors

A/N

_I hope we all had fun with that last chapter ;) I need to just say this...I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS AND COMMENTS! Please keep them coming. Also, just make an account! I try to personally respond to every comment or review but I can only do that with other account holders so...bite the bullet and create one :) I love writing Nicky. What a brilliant character. Enjoy this one, friends. I sure did!_

24 hours earlier…

Alex

"So let me get this straight...you manage to fuck her senseless in the bathroom after losing your chill and making a total asshat of yourself on the initial approach, you stay up all night writing melodic fucking poetry 'cause your pussy's still got the tingles thinking about her titties and shit, you go back the next fucking day to see her again and ask her to _DINNER_ before getting cockblocked by a teenage metal head...am I hitting the highlights pretty straight here, Stretch?"

Nicky makes a big production out of her recap of my week while strutting back and forth across my back porch. She takes an exaggerated drag off her cigarette and blows a few rings as I raise my eyebrows and tip my beer back. "Sounds about right."

"Hell of a fuckin' muse, Vause." She has been here about an hour. I text her this morning saying I needed a night in and to not show up without beer and chips. I'd been slow-grilling chicken for the last two hours and my backyard smelled like a legit BBQ place.

"God, it smells fucking fantastic. These babies ready for my mouth yet?" Nicky licked her lips as the lifted the grill lid for the tenth time in as many minutes.

"A watched pot never boils, Nichols." I kick the side of her legs and nod toward the chair opposite me. "Leave it the fuck alone."

She flops down and looks at me seriously, dropping her spent cigarette into the neck of her empty beer bottle. "It's been awhile, Vause. You sure you're ok with this? I mean...dinner? We both know the last time you were in that deep. I just wanna make sure you know what you're doing. I didn't bust my ass to get you back into the land of the living for nothing."

I sat back in my chair and took another long sip of my beer. She was right. It had been awhile since I took a woman to dinner. That's why I don't take women to dinner. Well...until now. I have been in one serious relationship in my life and got my fucking heart broken so completely that no one thought I was coming back from it.

For months, I didn't come out of my apartment for anything but cigarettes and booze. Nicky wasn't kidding when she talks about bringing me back - I really thought I was as good as gone.

Since then, I just have a lot of sex with a lot of women but never more than that. Fuck, I haven't taken a woman to so much as coffee, let alone dinner in nearly nine years. And that was all perfectly fine with me until Wednesday morning.

As soon as I opened the door tonight, Nicky took one look at my face and knew. "Fuck me, Vause…what's her goddamn name?"

She has been my best friend since we were 15. There was not one type of trouble we hadn't found together and I couldn't have hidden my true colors from her if my life depended on it. I didn't mind though. There wasn't a better person alive than this wild-haired wackjob I called my best friend.

"I don't think I have a choice, Nik. I wasn't looking for this. Shit, I could barely string a sentence together trying to talk to her. She's...I don't even know. She's not like any woman I've ever met." I let my gaze drift to nothing in particular.

"How?" Nicky flips her lighter to start another cigarette.

I turn to her, feeling like I missed something. "How what?"

"How the fuck is she different, dickhead."

Chuckling, I take a long inhale through my nose. "She's smart, witty...like really quick. She seems like she's been through it but is strong, you know? Like not beat up from her life but wiser for it...I don't know if that even makes any fucking sense. Oh...and she's fucking beautiful. Stunning even. She could cover a magazine. I mean…" I dip my chin and tilt my head to the side while lifting both my eyebrows.

"Mmmm….okay." Nicky rolls her eyes and drags again. "You're in deep, Vause." She squares her shoulders to me. "Lemme hear the song."

"What are you talking about?" I stand to tend the grill. I'm not sure I'm ready to share the results of my current musings with anyone just yet, so I play dumb even though I know it's useless in present company.

"I know you wrote a goddamn song about her and I want to at least know that you got something good out of this fiasco in case she loves you and then drops you like a hot latte." Her backhanded complement earns a playful "Fuck you, Nichols" in return.

I dip inside to grab my guitar from her stand, two more beers from the fridge and return to the porch to find Nicky fucking with my chicken again like she knows what the hell she's doing. "Ten minutes, you fucking jackal. God."

"Ok. Ok. Ok. I just can't wait to get chin deep in some fucking delicious breast. I'm starving to death over here." She grabs the bottles from my hands and pops both the tops before handing one back to me.

We clink the necks of our brews together before sitting down again to settle in. I start the intro groove that has been playing on repeat in my head for the last two days and I know I'm in the pocket when I see Nicky's head absent-mindedly start to bob slightly with the beat.

We have played music together for almost half our lives. She's a really talented pianist and plays guitar pretty well, too. But she can't carry a tune in a fucking bucket. I've brought pretty much everything I've ever written to her for feedback. She's super honest, which you'd expect after knowing her for two seconds. But she's surprisingly constructive, too.

So this is nothing new for us. We're just playing on the porch like we always do. I'm just singing a new tune, like I always do. Except this one is about a girl who is nothing like I've always done.

I play thru most of the song and build tastefully with my voice into the bridge.

_I'm losing my footing_

_I'm ready to fall_

_My white knuckle death grip_

_On all that I call_

_Normal_

_Is failing_

_Fading fast in ocean eyes_

_Drowning slow beneath my tries to stop you_

_I don't wanna stop you_

I finish out the chorus again and end on a particularly angsty collection of harmonies I know she will love - she's a sucker for rich harmony.

"Damn, Vause. That's fuckin' beautiful" she sets her beer down and slaps the side of my leg. "At least you'll have the song, right?!"

"You're such and asshole, you know that?" I stand up and hand my guitar to her. "Put her away while I plate this bird up for your scrawny ass.

When she returns with a bag of chips in each hand, she's walking out the door clucking and throwing her neck around like a goddamn chicken. Bat shit crazy. Just the way I like her.

She sits down to the patio table and busts open a bag of chips for me and one for her. She's particular about her dill pickle chips. "Ah yes! My happy place! Can't wait to have my lips all up on this breast!"

I look over at her and smirk. "I've got you beat there, Nichols." She shoots me a smug look and rolls her eyes, "Oh yeah?"

Holding up two drumsticks on either side of my mouth, I wink and smile, "Chin deep between legs."


	8. Chapter 8 - Flow

A/N

Thanks for the love on this story. As it's my first one and my initial dive into this world, I wasn't sure what to expect other than an outlet for some of my arty angst and some fun and firey Vauseman lovin'. Let's see what our girls get up to on their date as we round this little story out, shall we? As always, love me with those comments and reviews. They make my day!

Piper

Standing in front of my bathroom counter, I am grateful for the chance to take a breath and regroup. This night has not gone at all according to whatever "plan" I had in my head. Not that I'm complaining - not at all.

The feeling is just now starting to return to my toes after two orgasms that can only be described as earth-shattering. I take in my reflection and decide where to start. Shit-eating grin plastered over my face, sparks in my eyes that I haven't seen in a long damn time, sex hair...I'm happy.

I'm happy and I'm having fun with this unexpected arrival of black hair and leather. And right now, that's all I know or care about. I just want to be here, fully present for whatever this is and however long it lasts.

I've never felt such a visceral connection with another person. I feel infected with her, like she has changed the way my blood moves through me. It may kill me but it will be worth it. Lost in my thoughts, I don't hear their subject come thru the open bathroom door.

Feeling her hands circle my waist from behind, I return to earth with her kisses on my ear. "You ok, in here?" Her tone is soft and caring. Her touches full of attention to every detail of my face and eyes.

I exhale a contented sigh. "Mmmhmmm. I'm just trying to decide how annoyed I'm going to be about having to redo my face." She is eyeing me mischievously through our shared reflection.

"Yeah you seem super pissed. I'm ok with taking the blame - or should I say 'the credit'" she playfully runs her hand down the front of my dress and squeezes me gently. I groan into her face over my shoulder as I'm still just barely recovering from our recent romp on the couch.

"You are...amazing." I turn in her arms to meet her gaze. "But if you don't keep your hands to yourself, we're going to miss our reservation and I have my heart set on Pinot Grigio and baked brie, thanks to your little rant. How many girls have you bedded before hors d'oeuvre with that little speech anyway?"

I'm kidding but kinda not. I'm not in the dark about the ridiculous level of game this woman has. I'm not flattering myself.

She returns her chin to rest on my shoulder and meets my eyes in the mirror, "Just the one..." She lets her gaze linger before continuing in her predictable jackassery, "...though I'm going to have to note that and keep it on deck given how phenomenally it worked out for me."

I elbow her side and roll my eyes. "You're the worst." I kiss her lips but our synchronous smile keeps it short but so damn sweet. "Take me to a nice fucking place, Vause. But make sure you save room for dessert."

Alex

She's talking passionately about her book ideas. She wants to write a novel. Her eyes shine and catch the light like the sun on the morning tide. I smile so shamelessly that I'm taken aback when her eyes suddenly go shy and disappointment clouds her countenance. "You think it's dumb." She sighs.

"No, no, not even a little bit, Pipes." I notice the nickname drop again as I lean forward in my chair and take her fidgeting hand in both of mine. "I think it's fucking brilliant. I'm just...I'm just having a really great time with you, that's all."

She connects with my eyes again, her vulnerability is on display and I know she needs more from me. "I don't do dinner, Piper." She waits, trying to suspend her reaction as she seems to know I'm about to say something important.

"You arrested my attention this week in a way I haven't allowed in a really long time. I don't do dinner and I don't do flowers and I don't do calling a woman back." Her eyes wander to the single rose in the center of the table. I'd called the restaurant and arranged for it yesterday in a moment of weakness.

"I know myself. And I know this...you...it's hitting me in a way I can't ignore. I can't pass up the chance for this to be whatever it can be. But I also need to be straight with you about what I am and what I'm not."

She straightens in her chair at this sudden escalation in the conversation. "Okay, Alex. I'm listening."

I've been thinking about this all day - debating what I should say and what I shouldn't. Ultimately, I decide to just lay it all out there and if she runs for the hills, at least I've only lost a few days rather than however long might take me to pony up and say my piece.

"I'm really into you. I haven't been able to think about anything but you for longer than a few minutes at a time since you locked me in your bathroom at the Dog." She smiles sheepishly but doesn't break our eye contact.

"What you see with me is what you get. I don't want to have secrets or anything to hide. I will never lie to you and that's not always going to feel great. I gave my heart to a woman ten years ago and when she threw it in my face before she walked out of my world, I didn't even recognize it as mine anymore.

She hurt me in every possible way and I have been rebuilding and repairing myself with varying degrees of success since. My way of protecting my heart has been to have a lot of sex with a lot of women and only occasionally bother to ask their name.

I've been perfectly content to float in my own boat for a really long time but you have royally fucked up my system. And honestly, I'm scared shitless. I'm doing things with and for you that I never thought I'd do - that I swore I'd never do.

And I'm not asking you for anything other than to hear me out. I don't have a grand plan after this conversation and if this is all too much for you, I would totally get that. I know I'm making this pretty damn heavy for a first date. But I have to go home tonight and lay my head on my pillow and live with myself. And I couldn't do that if I didn't tell you all this.

And I hope there's a second date. Fuck, I hope there's a 10th and 20th and 50th date. But if there is, I want you to say yes to every one of them with no pretense, no questions, no ambiguity about where my head is at and how I feel about you. I don't want to play games with you and I pray to God you don't want to play games with me - unless it's dirty dice. 'Cuz I can get behind a game of dirty dice." I do my best to bring the bomb I just dropped to a semi-humorous conclusion.

There it was. All of it. I didn't know if I could bare my soul like that to anyone but something about her feels safe to me. She feels like home. And I know in my thinking head that this is fucking nuts. I just met this woman for real like three days ago.

But I'm not listening to my thinking head right now and it might come back to bite me in the ass. If it does, it does. Right now, I'm just looking at her...waiting. She hasn't looked away from me once this whole time.

I have no idea what to expect from her in response, but I most definitely did not expect the one I got, "Get the check, Vause. I'm ready for dessert."

Piper

I got up to use the restroom while she waited for the check. God knows I needed to do something about the mess formerly known as my panties. How many pairs of these fuckers am I going to go through in one night, courtesy of this smoulder-fest named Alex Vause?

Just for fun, I turned to check before rounding the corner to the bathroom. Sure as shit, her eyes were all up on my ass. I tossed my head back in a delighted laugh. Returning to the table, she stands and kisses my cheek. She is visibly more at ease.

I know it wasn't easy for someone who usually sports such an air of confidence to be so vulnerable. But I took it as an indication that she means every word. And her display of sincerity only made me fall harder for the treasure buried in those emerald eyes.

We drive the 20 minutes back to the shop in comfortable silence until I test the waters of banter again. "So...we are talking like...a LOT of women, aren't we?"

She lets out a nervous chuckle and blows air upward over her own face as she raises an eyebrow. "Mmmhmm. A lot."

I take her hand over the gear shift and say calmly, "Well, as long as I'm the only woman while I'm the woman, I'm not bothered by any of the other women."

She looks at me with a genuine gaze and squeezes my fingers as she intertwines them, "Yes ma'am." She's quiet for a minute and then asks as we pull into the parking lot, "She must have been something too, yeah?"

I have no idea what she's talking about and I'm sure that fact is written all over my face when I turn to her and ask, "Who must have been something?"

"Whoever taught you how to please a woman. Because damn, girl. I HAVE been with a lot of women but none of them have anything on you. And I mean not even one of them."

My face floods red and I smack her arm as she pulls the brake and turns to me. "Seriously, Alex?! Please."

She doesn't say anything, clearly waiting for me to continue and share whatever sexually historical dirty laundry she's concocted in her head.

"I appreciate the compliment. I had a few drunken experiments in college and made out with girls here and there. But you're the only woman I've ever _been with_, been with. I've never done that before tonight."

I have been looking at our laced fingers and nervously drawing circles in the palm of her hand in an attempt to give myself something to do during my turn in the vulnerability circle.

"No fucking way, Piper. That is just not possible." She's not upset or anything but she's definitely not buying my answer. I turn to look her straight in the eye and say, "You said you'd never lie to me. And I will never lie to you."

She softens at my connection with her eyes. I drop the tone of my voice and move my hand from hers to the inside of her leg. Leaning over the console into her, I continue, "Her name is Alex, if you must know. The one who taught me everything I know about pleasing a woman. And I really hope she's not done with her expert instruction because I'm a very. Eager. Student." I punctuate the last three words with slow, open-mouthed kisses to her neck.

She chuckles easily at my advance. "You're fucking full of surprises, aren't you? I don't...I don't even know what to say to that. I mean yes, professor Vause definitely has office hours tonight but I thought you had to check in on the Open Mic Nite" she turns to kiss me softly.

I throw my hands up in mock resignation, "Yes, yes ok. You're right. Let's go in and make sure the emo-depressives aren't throwing a wet blanket on all the creative passion I'm hoping to see in there."

I reach for the door but turn my face to her again for another sweet and decidedly suggestive kiss. Biting her lower lip before I back away, I let her know that I'm far from done with this night.

We exit the car and head toward the door. I suddenly notice she's not beside me and turn to see her closing the trunk of her car. She emerges holding a guitar case. I'm stunned and completely caught off guard. "Is that yours?!" I ask in utter shock.

"You're not the only one with a few surprises in her pocket." She grins and throws her arm around my shoulder as we head inside.

My shock at the fact that my date is a closet musician - at least closet to me - is topped only by my shock at how many people have turned out for this night. My place is packed to the gills. I wade through the bodies to get to Polly at the counter. "Polly...this is amazing!"

"Yeah, it fucking is, Pipe!" She shouts at me while frothing milk for the cappuccino she's putting together. "I guess you were too busy with Janice Joplin over there to check your damn phone. I had to call in three girls to help with this hella crowd. We're all out of cinnamon rolls and I don't even know how many drinks have gone out just in the last hour. It's fucking nuts!"

I couldn't be happier with this "problem". I guess I should have done this way sooner. Though she's definitely busy, it's clear Pol has everything under control. I've lost Alex in the shuffle of checking on Polly so I go about tracking her down.

I spot her across the room talking to a redhead with some of the craziest hair I have ever seen. She's unpacking her guitar and looks to be getting set up to take the mic next. The redhead gives her a strong pat on the back and turns to walk back toward the front of the shop where I'm standing.

She catches my eye and tips her chin up in recognition even though I have never seen her before. This night just keeps getting more and more interesting. It's a good thing I decided ahead of time to go with the flow because from the moment I opened my loft door a few hours ago, it's been nothing but a wild ride.

"Heya, Blondie!" the mystery woman hollers over the crowd noise as she reaches her hand out to me. I take it and look quizzically at her as she turns my hand over and kisses the back of it. Who IS this person?

"Well, Vause wasn't lyin'...you're a fucking fine-ass woman. If she wasn't my best friend, I'd be layin' down my best lines on you right now if you know what I mean." She winks at me and takes up a spot beside me, turning toward the stage we have set up in the front window. I'm shaking my head with a smile. "And you are?..." I look at her from the corner of my eye.

"Shit, honey. Where the fuck are my manners? I'm just trying to fully take in the moment I meet the woman who has knicked off with my girl's heart and probably doesn't even know it yet. Nicky Nichols, at your service. But if you hurt her, I'll hurt you. Now where's my cappuccino…" She saunters off toward the counter and saddles up awkwardly close to Polly who had come around the corner to her with her drink.

I just laugh. What else can I do right now? The woman is shameless. My attention turns to the front of the shop as the emcee announces the next performer, "Up now we have Alex Vause, playing an original called "Fading Fast". Come on, party people. Put your hands together for Alex!"

Everyone is in such a good mood and the vibe in the shop is really incredible. As the strong surge of welcome applause is dying down, Alex starts to play. As soon as she begins the song, everything else in the room slips into the background.

The music is haunting but hopeful. The way she creates the flow with her rhythms is almost magical. I've never heard anything like it before. I have never considered what her raspiness would sound like in a singing voice but it's nothing short of captivating.

She isn't new to the stage, that much is obvious. The way she moves demonstrates she's completely comfortable and at home behind the mic. Though she engages the crowd so causally, it's almost second nature - she catches my eye so often during the song that she may as well be singing it straight to me.

_Seen you around now baby before_

_Too far off my deep end to see you before_

_You take me down, you lock me up_

_You pour me out just to fill your cup and now you're thirsty again_

_Go on and take it all in_

_Is it me_

_Is it you_

_Here to stay or passing through_

_Give me fire, give me flames_

_Girl, I barely know your name_

_Catch your breath, watch your step_

_I'll give you all that I have left_

_Can't promise much but I know _

_I'll see you tomorrow_

_They always say you never see it coming_

_I always said it wasn't true_

_But I could never have imagined_

_Being caught up into you_

_I know just what I wanna do_

_Is it me_

_Is it you_

_Here to stay or passing through_

_Give me fire, give me flames_

_Girl, I barely know your name_

_Catch your breath, watch your step_

_I'll give you all that I have left_

_Can't promise much but I know _

_I'll see you tomorrow_

_I'm losing my footing_

_I'm ready to fall_

_My white knuckle death grip_

_On all that I call_

_Normal_

_Is failing_

_Fading fast in ocean eyes_

_Drowning slow beneath my tries to stop you_

_I don't wanna stop you_

_Go on and take it all in_

_I know just what I wanna do_

As she lets the last notes ring out on her guitar, the place comes unglued. The crowd is hollering and clapping like maniacs. She smiles wide, taking a moment to receive the thunderous applause and wave "thank you's" to the grateful audience. The emcee comes back to the mic and encourages the frenzy of the crowd. "Alex VAUUUUSSEEE, ladies and gentlemen! Come ON!"

She comes down off the stage and quickly packs up her guitar. I'm frozen where I stand. I can't hardly believe how she just owned this room with her artistry and creative expression. It was beautiful. I have my hands over my mouth and I'm undoubtedly staring as I feel someone approach beside me.

"Well that was fan-fucking-tastic, wouldn't you say, Blondie?" Nicky is back and elbowing me in the ribs with an ear-to-ear smile on her face. I turn to look at her, still speechless. "She wrote that shit for you." She walks to meet Alex, who is moving in my direction. I watch them high five as Nicky walks out the door of the shop.

Her eyes meet mine as she closes the distance between us and wraps her free arm around my waist, kissing my cheek. "Hey." she speaks softly into my ear. I pull back to meet her eyes, "Hey, yourself." I take her hand and lead her back through the office and up the stairs. It's time for my damn dessert.


End file.
